it is pretty clear from harry reid's statements this week that the more ambitious measures such as an assault weapons ban are not going to get through the senate. i think the politics of the issue remain what they always were, think -- which is that there is broad public support for a lot of these measures but it's geographically intense in some areas and not in others. but i also think on one side there is an intensity on the issue, the anti-gun control side where it's not a driving issue and the memories are a lot shorter on the other side. >> there is also broad public support for a compromise on the fiscal front. is there any indication that in the coming months that will be part of this recalculation on the part of the republican leadership and the democratic leadership? >> there is some indication just looking at white house rhetoric. president obama in the winter had been saying look, it's not a matter of whether i can have a round of golf with speaker boehner, the only thing that's going to change is if those guys flatly change their position. we've seen all this outreach in t